Negotiators for the Trans-Pacific Partnership have agreed trade rules for six broad categories as officials race to conclude a trade pact, a Japanese government source said on Thursday.

The United States, Japan and 10 other countries have been locked in talks over the TPP, a U.S. proposal that would cut trade barriers and harmonize standards covering two-fifths of the world economy and a third of global trade.

Officials from all countries meet on Thursday for the next round of formal negotiations near Washington, so any progress would be a welcome sign for talks that have often been delayed due to the sheer complexity of the trade zone. Click here to read more.